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Sex Commonalities and Differences in Obesity‐Related Alterations in Intrinsic Brain Activity and Connectivity
Author(s) -
Gupta Arpana,
Mayer Emeran A.,
Labus Jennifer S.,
Bhatt Ravi R.,
Ju Tiffany,
Love Aubrey,
Bal Amanat,
Tillisch Kirsten,
Naliboff Bruce,
Sanmiguel Claudia P.,
Kilpatrick Lisa A.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1002/oby.22060
Subject(s) - putamen , globus pallidus , functional magnetic resonance imaging , obesity , brain activity and meditation , medicine , substantia nigra , psychology , brain mapping , neuroimaging , endocrinology , neuroscience , electroencephalography , basal ganglia , central nervous system , dopamine , dopaminergic
Objective This study aimed to characterize obesity‐related sex differences in the intrinsic activity and connectivity of the brain's reward networks. Methods Eighty‐six women ( n = 43) and men ( n = 43) completed a 10‐minute resting functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Sex differences and commonalities in BMI‐related frequency power distribution and reward seed‐based connectivity were investigated by using partial least squares analysis. Results For whole‐brain activity in both men and women, increased BMI was associated with increased slow‐5 activity in the left globus pallidus (GP) and substantia nigra. In women only, increased BMI was associated with increased slow‐4 activity in the right GP and bilateral putamen. For seed‐based connectivity in women, increased BMI was associated with reduced slow‐5 connectivity between the left GP and putamen and the emotion and cortical regulation regions, but in men, increased BMI was associated with increased connectivity with the medial frontal cortex. In both men and women, increased BMI was associated with increased slow‐4 connectivity between the right GP and bilateral putamen and the emotion regulation and sensorimotor‐related regions. Conclusions The stronger relationship between increased BMI and decreased connectivity of core reward network components with cortical and emotion regulation regions in women may be related to the greater prevalence of emotional eating. The present findings suggest the importance of personalized treatments for obesity that consider the sex of the affected individual.